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*WPIAL CHAMPIONS

*PIAA RUNNERUP*

*SECTION CHAMPIONS*

FOUR TIGERS SELECTED TO ALL-SECTION TEAM

Four members of the WPIAL Champion Tigers were selected to the Section 2 All-Star team.  Seniors Andrew Elmore, Nate Mountain, and Zach Nanni, along with junior John Kofmehl, were placed on the team.

Previously, Nanni was chosen as the MVP of the WPIAL for his fine play this season.  Selected to the WPIAL First Team All-Stars were Elmore and Nanni.  Mountain and Kofmehl were chosen as second team members. 

BOYS VOLLEYBALL - WPIAL ALL-SECTION

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TIGERS FALL IN PIAA FINALS

Coach Dan Schall's Tigers made a valiant effort to win the PIAA championship but lost for a second straight year in the finals to Hempfield, 15-11, 12-15, and 4-15, at Shippensburg University on Saturday afternoon.   NA was undefeated throughout the season in dual matches until the championship.

In game one, the Tigers jumped off to an early 7-2 lead but the Black Knights came back to tie the game at 7-7.  After NA went ahead, 10-8, Hempfield came back to take an 11-10 advantage.  The Tigers, however, scored the final five points to win, 15-11.  Senior Zach Nanni led the way with 12 kills as NA took a 1-0 lead.  Senior MH Andrew Elmore was dominant at the net for the Tigers with junior John Kofmehl setting well throughout the contest.

The second game was close throughout after Hempfield built a 4-1 advantage in the early going.  Senior Dan Mihm came off the bench to give NA a spark and get them back in the game.  The Tigers came all the way back behind the hitting of senior Nate Mountain to take an 11-10 lead, and it appeared that game two would finish the same as the first game.  Hempfield had other ideas.  A kill by Stephen Yeager and a bloc by Jay Stauffer gave the Knights a 13-11 lead.  NA cut the lead to 13-12 but Hempfield scored the final two points to tie the match at one game each.

The third game belonged to Hempfield.  The Black Knights raced off to an 11-1 lead and never looked back.  Setter Gary Vogel and MH Tom Diehl had outstanding games to lead Hempfield to their third consecutive state title.  The Knights were able to contain Nanni during the final game, blocking and diverting many of his attempted kills.  Coach Schall added, "I think they did a very good job on Zach Nanni in the third game."

The Tigers defeated Pennsbury, 15-9, 11-15, and 15-10, in the quarterfinals and knocked off Exeter, 15-11 and 15-5 in the semifinals.  The Pennsylvania Cable Network will show a replay of the finals today at 2:00 pm. 

CONGRATULATIONS TO COACH DAN SCHALL AND THE TIGERS FOR AN OUTSTANDING SEASON!!!!!

MATCH SUMMARY
HEMPFIELD - 2    NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1

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TIGERS DOMINATE IN POOL PLAY

Coach Dan Schall's Tigers won three matches in pool play at Shippensburg University on Friday to advance to the quarterfinals of the PIAA tournament.  NA defeated Spring Grove (15-6, 15-4), North Pocono (15-2, 15-5), and Conemaugh Valley (15-2, 15-4) to finish as the top team in Pool A.  Today, the Tigers will meet Pennsbury, the #2 team from Pool D, in the quarterfinals at 10:00 am. 

The semifinals will be held at 12 noon with the finals to follow at 2:30 pm this afternoon.  The Pennsylvania Cable Network will telecast the final on a delayed basis tonight at 9:00 pm with replays at 10:30 pm and tomorrow at 2:00 pm.

2003 PIAA BOYS' VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Heiges Fieldhouse, Shippensburg University

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TIGERS RALLY TO BEAT UPPER ST. CLAIR AND TAKE WPIAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Upper St. Clair defeated the Tigers, 15-12, in the first game of the WPIAL Championship match at LaRoche College on Saturday afternoon, but NA came back to win the next two games and the championship.  Led by WPIAL MVP Zach Nanni, the Tigers downed the Panthers, 15-11 and 15-11, to capture the crown.  NA defeated Norwin, 15-11 and 15-9, in the semifinals.

In the first game against USC, the Tigers came out fired up.  NA scored the first four points on a block by senior Andrew Elmore and three Panther hitting errors.  Upper St. Clair rallied, led by 6-4 senior Ryne Murray, to score the next two points and cut the lead to 4-2.  After six serves without points, senior Nate Mountain registered a kill for a point, but 6-4 senior Matt Greenwell answered as the score went to 5-3.  After a Nanni hit went long to give USC a point, Elmore came back to block 6-11 senior Andrew Atman and the NA lead was 6-4.  The teams continued to exchange points before Atman came back with a block and a kill to tie the score at 8-8.  Murray continued to play well with his three kills giving USC its first lead of the game at 11-8.  Junior Kyle Pelz hit cut the lead to 11-9 but an NA hitting error pushed the lead back to three at 12-9.  After Mountain blocked for a point, the Panthers scored a pair of points behind Atman's block and an NA error.  With USC ahead 14-10, two hits by Atman were wide and the Tigers cut it to 14-12.  Atman finished off NA with a big hit to win game one for USC, 15-12.

In game two, the Tigers grabbed a quick 2-0 lead with an Elmore kill and a carry by the Panthers.  Murray's kill and a serving ace by Sean McGinnis tied the score at 2-2.  With Nanni serving, the Tigers picked up a pair of points on a Mountain tip and an USC hitting error.  Mountain then served four straight points to give the Tigers an 8-2 advantage with Elmore accounting for three of the points on blocks.  After a time out, USC came back to score the next five points.  Atman picked up three points on blocks and senior Greg Heddaeus served an ace to cut the Tiger lead to 8-7.  Senior E.J. Robertson served an ace and a Panther hitting error increased the NA lead to 10-7.  The Tigers then helped the USC cause with two miscues and senior Rob Julius added a serving ace to tie the score at 10-10.  Mountain served a point and Nanni added another on a kill and Tigers took the lead again, 12-10.  After 6-6 senior Adam Wright blocked for a USC point, the Tigers scored the last four points to win, 15-11.  Elmore and Mountain combined on a block, Mountain picked up a kill, and Wright's attempted return of a Brandon Hoenke serve went long as the Tigers tied the match at one game each.

The third game was contested hotly by both teams.  The lead changed hands four times before the Tigers finally were able to pull out the victory.  Two hitting errors and an Atman kill gave USC a 3-0 lead as the Tigers started slowly.  Junior setter John Kofmehl started the Tigers back into the game with an ace, a net violation gave NA another point, and Nanni came through with another big hit to tie the score at 3-3.  Elmore's kill put NA ahead, 4-3, but the Panthers came back with four straight points behind the serving of Wright, who picked up a pair of aces as USC went back on top, 7-4.  The Tigers were not finished, however, and scored three straight points to tie the game at 7-7.  Nanni accounted for two of the points on kills.  The game and match were in doubt as neither team could score for the next eight serves.  With Elmore serving, Atman was called for going into the net and NA led 8-7.  Five more serves went by without points before another call against USC gave the Tigers a 9-7 lead.  After a USC time out, the Panthers rallied to score three straight as Heddaeus served an ace and Atman picked up a kill to make it 10-9 in favor of USC.  With Mountain serving, Atman's attempted kill went long and the score was tied at 10-10.  At this point, the Tigers put together a 5-1 run that won them the game and championship.  With Robertson serving, a hitting error gave NA an 11-10 advantage.  Nanni then took over the match with three straight big hits for points to increase the Tiger lead to 14-10.  After the Panthers picked up a point, Nanni's serve was returned long and the Tigers won the game, 15-11, and the championship.

The championship was the seventh won by North Allegheny in the history of WPIAL volleyball and the first since the 1998-99 season.  NA has captured a pair of PIAA titles.  For his leadership and for his ability to rise to the occasion during critical times in the match, the North Allegheny Sports Network chose Zach Nanni as the Player of the Game.  Nanni was named the MVP of the WPIAL in a ceremony between the semifinals and finals.  Andrew Elmore was named to the first team while John Kofmehl and Nate Mountain were selected to the second team.  

The Tigers qualified for the PIAA Tournament which will be held next week.  The Tigers will be in Pool A which will play on Friday, May 30, beginning at 9:00 am.  The quarterfinals will be held on Saturday, May 31, at 10:00 am, the semifinals will follow at 12:00 pm and the finals will take place at 2:30 pm.  All matches will be played at Shippensburg University.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2    UPPER ST. CLAIR - 1

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TIGERS BEAT NORWIN, 2-0, TO ADVANCE TO FINAL

The Tigers defeated the Norwin Knights in the semifinals of the WPIAL Tournament on Saturday morning at LaRoche College, 2-0, winning 15-11 and 15-9.  Both games were close throughout, but NA was able to gain control.  The Tigers relied on their front line to do most of the damage against Norwin.  Big games by Andrew Elmore, Zach Nanni, Matt Sharick and Nate Mountain were enough to pull out the victories.  Junior John Kofmehl took care of the setting as NA advanced to the championship match against Upper St. Clair.

In the first game, neither team could gain an advantage in the early going.  With the score tied at 4-4, Norwin scored three straight points behind the play of senior OH Shaun McNamara and senior setter Nick Lyn.  The Tigers responded to tie the game at 7-7.  NA then moved out to an 11-7 advantage mainly behind the serving of Kofmehl and senior Mike Slanders, along with the play of Sharick at the net.  Norwin came back to score three of the next four points with a block by McNamara and a kill by 6-6 senior Mike Palaschak the big plays.  Kills by Sharick and Elmore made it a 14-10 NA lead and junior Pat Mullarkey finished off the Knights with a block to give the Tigers a 15-11 win in game one.

The second game was also close early on.  The teams continued to exchange points until an NA violation gave Norwin a 7-6 lead.  Senior E.J. Robertson countered with a serving ace, and Nanni picked up two points on a block and a kill to give NA a 9-7 lead.  With Kofmehl serving, a Norwin hitting error and a Mountain kill made 11-7.  Norwin came back to cut it to 11-9, but the Tigers scored the final four points to win game two, 15-9, and the match two games to none.

For his efforts at the net, the North Allegheny Sports Network chose Andrew Elmore as the Player of the Game.  The win advanced the Tigers to the championship match against the Upper St. Clair Panthers, who defeated Latrobe, 2-0, in the semifinals.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2    NORWIN - 0

SCORE BY GAMES	1	2	FINAL
Norwin	11	9	0
NORTH ALLEGHENY	15	15	2

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TIGER DEPTH TOO MUCH FOR FARRELL IN A 3-0 VICTORY

The Farrell Steelers gave the Tigers a battle for the first game before losing, 15-12, in the quarterfinals of the WPIAL Tournament at the Senior High gym on Thursday night.  Superior depth, particularly at the net, gave NA a big advantage as they went on to win, 15-4 and 15-6.  Seniors Zach Nanni, Andrew Elmore, and Nate Mountain controlled the net as they converted the accurate sets of junior John Kofmehl.  Senior Matt Sharick and juniors Kyle Pelz and Pat Mullarkey contributed as the Tigers wore down the Steelers.

In the first game, it was a real battle.  After Farrell built a 2-0 lead behind 6-3 MH Kellen Newby, the Tigers came back with six straight points.  Nanni led the way with five kills during the run, three for points.  Senior Lionel Stinson brought the Steelers back with a pair of kills and Newby added another as Farrell cut the NA lead to 6-5.  The Tigers seemed to take control at this point behind the serving of Sharick.  A kill by Nanni and two hitting errors by Farrell gave NA a 9-5 advantage.  The Steelers would not quit, however, and began to edge back into the contest.  Newby and Mountain exchanged blocks for points to make it 10-6.   After a Mountain serve forced a hitting error, Farrell ran off four straight points to tie the game at 11-11.  Stinson's serve brought Farrell to within three at 11-8, and an NA hitting error and a kill by Tahfaren Owens cut the lead to 11-9.  Newby served an ace and the Tigers were called for going into the net and suddenly it was a tie game.  After a serve by senior Mike Slanders gave NA a 12-11 lead, Farrell came back on a Newby block to tie the game at 12-12.  The Tigers regrouped at this point to score the last three points and win game one.  Sharick's serve forced a hitting error, Elmore blocked for a point, and Kofmehl's tip was not returned and NA had won the first game, 15-12.

The second game was all NA.  The Tigers quickly built a 9-0 lead and coasted to victory.  A series of Farrell hitting errors and good play by Mountain, Sharick, Elmore and Nanni backed up strong serving by Slanders and senior Dan Irvin during the run.  After an NA violation gave Farrell the first point of the game, the Tigers piled on four more with Nanni picking up two on kills, Mountain adding another, and Kofmehl serving an ace.  With the Tigers leading 13-1, Farrell was able to score the next three points.  Irvin came off the bench to serve the last two points, with Nanni and Elmore earning kills as NA posted a 15-4 win in game two.

In the final game, Farrell came out strong and took an early lead.  Newby picked up points on a block and a kill, and junior setter Tom Cimoric forced an NA hitting error on a serve to make it 3-0.  The Tigers came back to pick up a pair of points on a Mountain serve and a Nanni kill to cut the lead to 3-2.  An NA hitting error and another Newby kill pushed the lead to 5-2 before the Tigers began a comeback.  Nanni picked up an ace and a Farrell hitting error with his vaunted jump serve, and the Tigers tied the game at 5-5 behind Mullarkey's kill.  From this point, NA went on a 10-1 run to close out the game and the match.  After Mountain and Elmore combined on a block for a point, senior Brandon Hoenke's serve forced a Farrell hitting error.  Mountain then took over the serve and picked up five straight points.  A pair of hitting errors, a Sharick dink, and two Elmore blasts accounted for the Tiger scoring during the run.  With Irvin serving, Nanni went off the blockers for still another point and a Farrell hitting error pushed the NA lead to 14-6.  Nanni's serve forced a final Farrell mistake and the Tigers had won game three, 15-6, and the match, three games to none.

The victory kept the Tigers' unbeaten streak in tact as they advance into the WPIAL semifinals.  For his domination at the net, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Zach Nanni as the Player of the Game.  In the semis, NA will face Norwin, a 3-2 winner over Mt. Lebanon, at 11:00 am at LaRoche College.  The championship and consolation games will follow at 1:00 pm.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 10:45 am.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3    FARRELL - 0

SCORE BY GAMES	1	2	3	FINAL
Farrell	12	4	6	0
NORTH ALLEGHENY	15	15	15	3

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WPIAL BOYS' VOLLEYBALL
2003 CHAMPIONSHIPS

FIRST ROUND

NORTH ALLEGHENY - bye

Farrell - 3  Penn Hills - 2

Norwin - 3  Elderton - 0

Mt. Lebanon - 3  Deer Lakes - 1

Latrobe - 3  Baldwin - 0

Montour - 3  Seneca Valley - 0

Derry - 3  Ambridge - 0

Upper St. Clair - 3  Thomas Jefferson - 0

QUARTERFINALS - Thursday at 7:00 pm

NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  Farrell - 0

Norwin - 3  Mt. Lebanon - 2

Latrobe - 3  Montour - 2

Upper St. Clair - 3  Derry - 1

SEMIFINALS -  LaRoche College, Saturday at 11:00 am

NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2  Norwin - 0

Upper St. Clair - 2  Latrobe - 0

FINALS - LaRoche College, Saturday at 1:00 pm

NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2  Upper St. Clair - 1

*Winner of consolation match qualifies for PIAA Tournament

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

TIGERS WIN MT. LEBANON TOURNAMENT IN PREPARATION FOR WPIAL PLAYOFFS

The Tigers captured the final regular season tournament with a win over Norwin, 15-8, in the Championship Game on Saturday at Mt. Lebanon.  NA had defeated Latrobe, 15-4, in the semifinals on their way to the final.  It was not easy as NA had to face seven teams ranked in the PIAA top 20 as they won their fifth tournament victory of the season in five tries.

The tournament format was a little different in that all games were played with a 15 point cap from the preliminary round play to the finals.  In the preliminary round, the top six teams moved on to the championship round.  The Tigers got off to a good start with an impressive 15-4 win over Meadville before knocking off a tough #7 ranked Cochranton team, 15-7.  In the third game, the Tigers prevailed over previously ranked Cambridge Springs, 15-3.

Things got tougher as the day progressed.  In game four, #20 Maplewood gave the Tigers all they could handle before falling, 15-13.  Baldwin was next up and the Tigers won, 15-9, but NA appeared to be tiring.  In the sixth game, a fired-up Norwin team, using the jump serve as a major weapon, stunned the Tigers with a 13-1 run that led to a 15-9 Norwin victory.  NA had to play the home team, Mt. Lebanon next, and Lebo hung tough before the Tigers pulled out a 15-14 win.  In the last game in the preliminary round, Latrobe shocked the Tigers with a 15-10 victory.

The Tigers finished third in preliminary round action with a 6-2 record.  The top two teams, Norwin and Latrobe, had byes into the semifinals.  The third-place finish placed NA against the top three ranked teams in the tournament.  Coach Dan Schall's team rose to the occasion.  In the quarterfinals, the Tigers once again defeated Cochranton, 15-9, before meeting Latrobe in the semis.  The Tigers avenged the earlier loss to the Wildcats with a 15-4 drubbing in the semifinals earning the Tigers a ticket to the finals. 

The top two teams met in the final with the Tigers ready to turn the tables on the Knights.  In the final game, a number of Tigers stepped up to meet the challenge.  Senior Zach Nanni led the way at the net with big hits, along with the blocking of junior Kyle Pelz and overall play of Matt Sharick.  Senior Dan Irvin served effectively, and when senior Andrew Elmore and Sharick blocked for the winning point, the Tigers had a well-deserved victory.

The WPIAL announced the pairings for the 2003 Volleyball Championships that will begin tonight.  The top-ranked Tigers received a bye into the quarterfinals and will not play until Wednesday or Thursday at home.  NA will meet the winner of the Penn Hills-Farrell match to be played on Monday.  If Penn Hills wins, NA will play the Indians on Wednesday.  If Farrell wins, the Steelers will come to Wexford on Thursday night.  We will post results of first round matches as soon as we get them. 

We will post the date, time, and opponent for the Tigers' quarterfinal match as soon as we receive it.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the match LIVE on the internet.

(Special thanks to Steve Elmore for information in this report!)

MT. LEBANON TOURNAMENT
Saturday, May 17, 2003

NORTH ALLEGHENY SCORES

PRELIMINARY ROUND

NORTH ALLEGHENY - 15  Meadville - 4

NORTH ALLEGHENY - 15  Cochranton - 7

NORTH ALLEGHENY - 15  Cambridge Springs - 3

NORTH ALLEGHENY - 15  Maplewood - 13

NORTH ALLEGHENY - 15  Baldwin - 9

Norwin - 15  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 9

NORTH ALLEGHENY - 15  Mt. Lebanon - 14

Latrobe - 15  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 10

NA did not play Montour or Ambridge

QUARTERFINALS

NORTH ALLEGHENY - 15  Cochranton - 9

Mt. Lebanon over Cambridge Springs

Latrobe, Norwin - Bye

SEMIFINALS

NORTH ALLEGHENY - 15  Latrobe - 4

Norwin - 15  Mt. Lebanon - 12

FINALS

NORTH ALLEGHENY - 15  Norwin - 9

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TIGERS BLANK NORTH HILLS, 3-0, TO FINISH UNBEATEN

Coach Dan Schall's Tigers shut out North Hills, 3-0, to finish the regular season unbeaten.  The Tigers used their entire squad in defeating the Indians, 15-4, 15-2, and 15-6.  With the win, NA moved to 12-0 in section play and 14-0 overall.

The Tigers were led by the strong serving of seniors Brandon Hoenke and Dan Irvin as they controlled the action during all three games.  According to Coach Schall, "an all all-around steady performance from multiple people" was a key to the easy victory.  In spite of a hostile crowd on Senior Night at North Hills, the Tigers cruised to the three-game sweep.

The Tigers will participate in the Mt. Lebanon Tournament on Saturday as they prepare for the WPIAL Playoffs.  Many of the top WPIAL teams will be there at Lebo as NA will use the tournament as a final test before the playoffs.  In the playoffs, Coach Schall said, "it will be a tremendous challenge.  There are a number of good teams that are playing very good volleyball right now".  

The playoff pairings have not been announced yet, but the Tigers will begin play either on Tuesday or Thursday of next week.  "Our guys are anxiously awaiting the opportunity," added Coach Schall.  We will post the playoff pairings as soon as we receive them.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will try to broadcast as many playoff games as possible, depending on the overall playoff schedule.  The WPIAL finals will be broadcast LIVE on the internet by NSN Sports.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3    NORTH HILLS - 0

SCORE BY GAMES	1	2	3	FINAL
NORTH ALLEGHENY	15	15	15	3
North Hills	4	2	6	0

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TIGERS CLAIM SECTION TITLE WITH 3-0 WIN OVER SHALER

Coach Dan Schall's Tigers dominated the Shaler Titans on Senior Night at the Senior High gym on Thursday night.  Leading the way was senior setter Dan Long who set the NA hitters all match long as the Tigers picked up 15-1, 15-1, and 15-8 victories.  Once again, NA was strong at the net getting big games from seniors Andrew Elmore, Zach Nanni, Dan Mihm, Matt Sharick and Nate Mountain.  

In the first game, after Shaler had scored on an ace by junior Nick Sciulli to cut the score to 2-1, the Tigers went on to score the next thirteen points to win going away.  Senior Matt Sharick came in to serve four straight points, three on Shaler errors and the fourth on an Elmore kill.  With the score 6-1, senior E.J. Robertson served a pair of points to make it 8-1.  Shaler continued to make mistakes as two additional hitting errors gave the Tigers a 10-1 advantage.  At this point, the NA front line took over.  A kill by junior Kyle Pelz, another by Mountain, and still another Shaler mistake increased the margin to 13-1.  Elmore finished off the Titans with two big hits to back up the serves of Mountain.  The Tigers won game one, 15-1.

In game two, NA jumped off to a 4-0 lead.  After Mountain served an ace, Elmore picked up a kill on a slide, Mihm went off the blockers, and Shaler was into the net.  After Shaler scored on another Sciullo serve, the Tigers went on a 11-0 run to capture the second game.  Two Shaler hitting errors pushed the lead to 6-1 before senior Russ Grimm picked up a kill for a Shaler side out.  Mountain's strong hit off the Shaler blockers brought Nanni back to serve.  The Tiger senior served the last nine points as he went to his devastating jump serve.  In the run, Nanni picked up a pair of aces as Shaler continually had trouble returning the serve.  When the Titans did get it over the net, the Tiger front line was there to put it back.  Mihn and junior Pat Mullarkey had kills, and Mountain added a pair of kills before his soft tip found an open space to give the Tigers a 15-1 win in the second game.

Senior Dan Irvin started game three with six consecutive serving points.  After Irvin served an ace to pick up the game's first point, Elmore and Mihm took over.  Elmore had three kills, Mihm another, and Elmore and Mihm combined to block for a point during the run.  For the first time in the match, however, Shaler came back.  With junior Mike Lawther serving, the Titans scored five straight points to cut the lead to 6-5.  Good work by 6-5 junior John Binz and Graham accounted for three of the points, with Tiger hitting errors giving Shaler two more.  After an NA time out, the Tigers regrouped to score the next four points.  With Mountain serving, a kill by Long and two Shaler hitting errors pushed the score to 9-5.  After the teams traded points, NA scored the next three behind the serving of senior Brandon Hoenke to make it 13-6.  An ace by Hoenke, a tip by Long, and a kill by Nanni sparked the NA run.  A block by senior Chris Baar cut the lead to 13-7 before Long served an ace to make it 14-7.  After Shaler scored to cut it 14-8, the Tigers won the game and the match as Sharick blocked the Shaler hitters for the winning point.

The Tigers dominated the serving stats.  NA scored on 45 of 60 serves, a percentage of 75.  The Titans, however, converted only ten of twenty-nine, a 34.4 percentage of success.

It was a good win for the Tigers coming off a tough match at Seneca Valley.  NA dominated Shaler from start to finish to win their 11th straight section match and clinch the Section 2 title.  For his efforts on the court, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Dan Long as the Player of the Game.  The Tigers will travel to North Hills on Tuesday night to finish the regular season.  The playoff pairings will be announced next week.  The North Allegheny Sports Network plans to broadcast WPIAL playoff matches.  Stay tuned!

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3    SHALER AREA - 0

SCORE BY GAMES	1	2	3	FINAL
Shaler Area	1	1	8	0
NORTH ALLEGHENY	15	15	15	3

   * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

SENECA VALLEY TEST TIGERS BUT FALLS, 3-2

Seneca Valley handed the Tigers their first two section game losses of the season on Tuesday night at Seneca Valley, but the Tigers came back to win the match, 3-2.  The Raiders used a fired up home crowd to take an early lead, only to fall to the #1 ranked Tigers.  During the past two seasons, the Tigers have lost a total of only three games in section play.

In the first two games, Seneca Valley jumped off to early leads and maintained control.  Led by senior OH Mike Burke, the Raiders defeated NA, 15-8 and 15-12 in the first two games.  According to Coach Dan Schall, "They served us extremely aggressively and came out as though they had nothing to lose."  Coach Schall went on to say that Seneca Valley is "capable of shocking a lot of teams in the WPIAL playoffs."

Coach Schall made a few adjustments before game three and they paid off for NA.  "We shifted a matchup to feature Andrew Elmore's block a bit more."  The Tigers responded to the challenge and were able to gain control of the match in game three, winning 15-3.  The comeback was sparked by blocking and defense.  "Once those two things were established, we began to play with more confidence", added Coach Schall.

In games four and five, the Tigers' superior talent took control as NA won going away by scores of 15-3 and 15-5.  Senior DS Brandon Hoenke played "inspired defense" and junior DS Ian Fitzpatrick was a "stabilizing factor defensively".  The Tigers were led by senior OH Zach Nanni with 21 kills, Elmore had 20 kills, while senior Nate Mountain added 13.

The win gives the Tigers a record of 10-0 in section play with just two games to go.  NA has clinched at least a tie for the title and need just one win to claim the crown.  The Tigers will host Shaler tomorrow night at the Senior High gym.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 6:50 pm.  Match time is set for 7:00 pm for the section contest.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3    SENECA VALLEY - 2

SCORE BY GAMES	1	2	3	4	5	FINAL
NORTH ALLEGHENY	8	12	15	15	15	3
Seneca Valley	15	15	3	3	5	2

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

TIGERS CRUSH DEER LAKES, 3-0

Deer Lakes visited the Senior High gym looking to upset the Tigers on Thursday evening, but NA came away with a dominating three-game sweep.  The Tigers downed Deer Lakes 15-2, 15-4, and 15-6, behind the power hitting of seniors Zach Nanni, Andrew Elmore, Matt Sharick and Dan Mihm.  Junior setter John Kofmehl was on target for most of the evening as the Tigers improved their record to 9-0 in section play.

The Tigers jumped off to a 5-1 lead in game one as Nanni came out strong for NA.  Senior Aaron Wynkoop served a pair of points behind an Elmore block and a Nanni kill.  After the Tigers picked up another point on a Deer Lakes hitting error, the Lancers picked up their play, earning three straight side outs.  In a pattern that would be repeated throughout the evening, however, the Lancers were not able to score after getting the serve.  NA came back strong with senior Brandon Hoenke serving.  A kill by Sharick was followed by big hits from Elmore and Mihm, and the lead was quickly pushed to 11-1.  A kill by Mihm was matched by a Deer Lakes point, but the Tigers were in control, 12-2.  With E.J. Robertson serving, Kofmehl got into the action at the net with a kill and a tip to pick up two quick points.  Nanni finished off the Lancers with a big hit to give NA a 15-2 win in the first game.

In game two,  the Tigers again moved out to an early lead.  With Nanni serving, senior Darren Moleton picked up a kill, Mihm dinked into an open space, and Sharick came through with a blast to give NA a 3-0 lead.  Senior Mike Slanders came off the bench to serve an ace, Elmore picked up another kill, and a Lancer hitting error increased the margin to 6-0.  After junior Brennen Britton served a point for Deer Lakes, Elmore's strong hit and another hitting error made it 8-1.  The Lancers regrouped, picking up three side outs but were not able to score.  A big-time hit by Nanni down the line and another hitting error made it 10-1 before junior setter Jaison Van Horn was able to serve for a point behind a block by junior Jon Bodnar.  After Elmore blocked for a point, the Lancers scored twice as the Tigers committed several hitting errors.  With the score 11-4, senior Dan Irvin served a pair of points.  Nanni had a great cross-court hit that landed on the line and Deer Lakes continued to have trouble with the powerful NA hits and the score went to 13-4.   Robertson served out the game with Moleton's kill making it 14-4.  Nanni again finished the Lancers with a hit off the blockers to give the Tigers a 15-4 win in game two.

Tiger coach Dan Schall used a different lineup for the third game, but the results were the same.  Deer Lakes appeared to tire early in the game as NA built a 9-0 lead.  Sharick stepped up to pick up a kill and then serve a pair of points, one on an ace, as the Tigers led, 3-0.  Junior Mike Petrasek came in to serve and answered with five straight points, including another ace.  During the run, it was Elmore coming up big at the net with three points off two kills and a block.   Slanders serve was not returned and the Tiger lead went to 9-0.  Deer Lakes came back to score twice on serves by Van Horn and Bodnar to cut the lead to 9-2.  Petrasek came back in to match the two points as the Lancers had trouble on the returns.  After Deer Lakes scored another point on an NA hitting error, Slanders served up a pair of ponts behind kills by juniors Pat Mularkey and A.J. Hickcox as the score went to 13-3.  Sophomore Joel Trocki then served three straight points, the longest Lancer streak of the game, as Deer Lakes recorded kills by junior Aron May and junior Alex Lutz.  With the score 13-6, the Tigers closed out the game and match with aces from senior Dan Long and Hickcox to win 15-6.

It was a dominating performance by the top-ranked Tigers as they increased their section lead to two games over Deer Lakes with just three section matches remaining.  The North Allegheny Sports Network selected Andrew Elmore as the Player of the Game for his consistent performance at the net during all three games.  The Tigers will be back in action again on Tuesday night when they travel to Seneca Valley.  NA will return home next Thursday to take on the Shaler Titans in a 7:00 pm section match.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the match LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 6:50 pm.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3    DEER LAKES - 0

SCORE BY GAMES	1	2	3	FINAL
Deer Lakes	2	4	6	0
NORTH ALLEGHENY	15	15	15	3

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

FINAL WPIAL STANDINGS
CLASS AAA - SECTION 2

* - Clinched playoff spot
# - Section champion

PVCA RANKINGS (as of 5/19/03)

1.	NORTH ALLEGHENY	11.	West York
2.	Hempfield	12.	Spring Grove
3.	Souderton	13.	Conestoga Valley
4.	Susquehannock	14.	Tunkhannock
5.	Upper St Clair	15.	Pennsbury
6.	Christopher Dock	16.	Lake Lehman
7.	Latrobe	17.	Chambersburg
8.	Norwin	18.	Penn Manor
9.	Mt. Lebanon	19.	New Oxford
10.	Cochranton	20.	Wilson

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

WPIAL COACHES' RANKINGS
as of 5/13/03

1.	NORTH ALLEGHENY	6.	Montour
2.	Upper St. Clair	7.	Derry
3.	Latrobe	8.	Penn Hills
4.	Mt. Lebanon	9.	Farrell
5.	Norwin	10.	Deer Lakes

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

WPIAL VOLLEYBALL - 2003

The Tigers will compete for the WPIAL championship, along with 33 other teams in 2003.  The top three teams and ties for third place will enter the team championships which will begin on May 19, 2003.  Ties for first place will not be broken.  Teams tied for first place will be declared section co-champions.  Both will receive a plaque and both will enter the tournament.  The third play off entry will be the runnerup to the co-champions.  If two teams tie for the third play off entry, but one of the teams has lost both head to head section contests, that team will not enter the tournament round.  If multiple teams tie for the third play off entry, that tie will be broken in the following manner:

a.  Section won-lost records of all the tied teams will be compiled.
b.  The team with the best numerical record among the tied teams will enter post-season play.
c.  If the tie cannot be clearly broken, all will enter post-season play.

All matches will be played with a best of five game format.  The top three teams will represent the WPIAL at the PIAA Championships.  The PIAA Championships will be held on May 30 and 31 at Shippensburg State University.

WPIAL SECTION ALIGNMENT

 

SECTION 1	SECTION 2	SECTION 3
Ambridge	NORTH ALLEGHENY	Central Catholic
Butler	Deer Lakes	Elderton
Farrell	Fox Chapel	Penn Hills
Hopewell	North Hills	Plum
Montour	Seneca Valley	Steel Valley
OL of Sacred Heart	Shaler	Thomas Jefferson
	Summit Academy	Woodland Hills
SECTION 4	SECTION 5
Baldwin	Belle Vernon
Bethel Park	Derry
Keystone Oaks	Gateway
Mt. Lebanon	Hempfield
Peters Township	Latrobe
South Park	Norwin
Upper St. Clair	Penn Trafford